Soul To Take
by Jaimewwf
Summary: Mili Lopez was visiting her grandfather, Alfred. He had never understood her. She had spent her entire life trying to find someone else that knew what hell was like, then she met Bane.
1. Chapter 1

Mili Lopez groaned as she let her head fall on the book before her. There was no way she would ever be able to finish this book before the big test next week. The concept of Dante's Inferno was very intriguing but she found it hard to focus on a book of poems about how Virgil perceived hell. Let alone something that was part of a collection known as Divine Comedy. Which part of hell or it's circles was funny? Mili was certain she had lived through more of hell than anyone she knew and she had accepted that no one living would ever understand it.

"I miss you Miguel." She whispered, reaching to the rosary by her book that her friend had left her in death fiver years earlier.

Mili left the room in search of the kitchen in the huge mansion she was no staying in. Mili had come to Gotham to "bond" with her grandfather, Alfred Pennyworth and to attend the University of Gotham. It was rather boring, though her grandfather swore the city was once filled with crime and excitement. He also swore that the amazing Batman had saved them all. Mili hadn't seen crime, Batman or the owner of the massive home in the three months she had been living there.

Mili couldn't help but laugh as she entered the huge kitchen and saw Alfred dancing in front of the double door refrigerator.

"Alfred please do me a favor and don't audition for America's Got Talent." She laughed, grabbing a bottle of water from the door and sitting at the center island. "I wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself."

"I am your grandfather, why will you not allow me the pleasure of hearing you say the word?" He said, scowling at her. "I have been in your life for years now."

Mili knew she had two choices, ignore the man or continue the conversation and end up arguing about the same subject all over again.

"So you have seen me a total of four months the entire 20 years of my life, three of which I lived here for and you think that makes you my grandfather?" Mili asked. She regretted the last part even before it left her mouth. "Look, I have told you to me family isn't about blood or DNA. Family is about understanding someone, trusting them with your life and you would never understand me."

"Why can we not be close?" Alfred asked. "Help me understand you."

"Why don't you ask your daughter why we can't be close? Maybe if she had known which of the many men she spread her legs for was my father we would be close. Maybe if she hadn't thrown me away the minute she had me you would understand me."

Mili knew she was starting to get more angry than ever. She knew this was the point in the argument he would start defending is perfect angel, Lily. Alfred's oldest daughter. Lily's mother was Mexican and the only thing that Mili had gotten from that side of the family was her tanned skin tone and dark hair. She didn't wish to have anything else.

"Who do you think you are speaking to him that way?" The man asked from the entry to the kitchen.

Mili turned to see an older man with circles around his eyes. She recognized him instantly from the pictures all over the house.

"Mr. Wayne how nice of you to come out of your pity wing and grace us with your presence." Mili said, standing from the chair.

Bruce looked the small framed girl up and down briefly before laughing.

"What are you 5'2", 115 pounds?" He asked, limping forward. "Alfred you can take this runt. Why don't you put her over your knee and teach her some respect? Before I do."

"Respect sir, is earned not demanded." Mili said, standing up straighter to try and feel bigger than she really was. "If I would have known that a party full of law enforcement would get you out of bed I would have called them out months ago to arrest you."

"For what exactly?" Bruce asked, with a smile.

This girl had some fire and no care in the world as to who he was. He was quite enjoying their little petty argument however, he was certain she was getting angrier by the minute.

"For treating my grandfather like a slave all of these years Mr. Wayne." Mili answered, seriously.

"You child are a spoiled brat. If you don't like the way I run things you don't have to stay here." Bruce yelled, slamming his fist on the counter.

"Bye." Mili said, nodding a goodbye to Alfred before going to her room.

Mili threw her school books in her back pack and a few clothes in a gym bag before quietly sneaking down the back stairs. She could hear the two still talking in the kitchen.

"She'll never leave for real Alfred. She's spoiled. Where would she go?" Bruce asked. "The girl knows she wouldn't survive a night in the real world."

Mili left the house and was beginning her walk when a police cruiser pulled up beside her.

"You shouldn't be walking around alone at night." the young officer said.

"I'm not afraid of the dark and I don't believe in the boogeyman." Mili replied, continuing her journey.

"You must be new to Gotham then." He laughed, climbing out of the car. "I'm Officer Blake. Let me give you a ride."

Mili paused to look back at the house. Alfred would be looking for her soon and if the officer wasn't going to leave her alone she would get nowhere fast.

"Okay." Mili answered. "Can you take me to the college? I need to study."

Fifteen minutes later Mili walked around the campus wondering what she was going to do. She saw a few options immediately; park bench, library, internet cafe. All places she'd used in her childhood. She chose the cafe so she could read some more of her book and eat before "accidentally" falling asleep at the table. When she entered she expected to see a lot of college students like herself, instead the first thing she saw was a group of 8-10 men huddled in the corner, whispering. They were all dressed in black, with masks and vests on. The campus was on the outskirts of town so she figured they were probably from nearby. There had been a rapist terrorizing the campus recently.

"Cops." Mili thought, searching for a place to sit.

Her eyes fell on a table inhabited by three college girls, cheerleaders she assumed from the peppy way they spoke and their giggling. Two more tables were filled with eight young guys judging by the way their speech was slurred and their eyes were glossy they were either drunk or high; or both. She groaned as she realized that her luck would leave the only empty table between the stoners and the cheerleaders.

"My name is Mildred. What can I get for you honey?" The gray-haired waitress asked.

"Can I get a grilled cheese sandwich and a Dr. Pepper please?" Mili asked, pulling out Dante's Inferno for the second time that night.

"You are the first person I've ever seen actually do homework in here." Mildred said, laughing.

"Could it be because my IQ went down 50 points when I sat at this table?" Mili asked, looking briefly around at the other college kids.

She heard a snicker in the back corner from the men in black. She hadn't been that loud there was no way they could have heard her was there.

Mili returned her focus back to her book but found it hard to study between the inhabitants around her. On one side she heard laughter and discussions of hair, shopping and how none of the guys in the cafe were good looking.

"Half of the guys have covered faces and pretty decent builds. What a bunch of girls." Mili thought to herself.

From the other table they were talking about girls, drugs and sex. Mili pulled the rosary that was marking her page out of the book and put it around her neck before looking at the back table. She could have sworn of the men in ski masks was staring at her but she figured it was just her imagination. Mili stood from the table and made her way toward the jukebox in the cafe. She hoped some music would help her mind get into the book and drown out some of the distractions around her. "Shut Up" by Blink 182 seemed perfect for the situation. Mili smiled and turned as the music began. She found herself facing one of the 'stoner' boys.

"Excuse me," She said nicely trying to step around.

"What do you have hiding under that coat of yours?" The guy asked, grabbing one of the ties holding it together and pulling.

Mili pushed his hand away.

"You want to find out?" She whispered, taking the coat off and laying it on the bar next to her.

"You bet baby." He said, smiling and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Not even in your dreams." Mili said, grabbing her coat and book before turning to walk by him.

She felt his hand grab her butt and instantly fought back. She grabbed his hand, pushing her hip our a little and pulled him over her should and onto the ground. She heard him land and knew she was in over her head. She turned in time to see one of his friends approached, grabbing her and slamming her against the wall.

"Aren't you scared?" The young man asked.

"Of you?" Mili asked, laughing. "What are you going to do? Bore me to death."

The young man raised his hand to strike her but it never came. She looked up to see the man she thought was watching her. He held the young mans hand with his own.

"If you hit her I will kill you." She heard an almost mechanical voice state calmly.

Mili turned her head to see where the voice had come from. In the corner of the cafe stood the largest man she'd ever seen. He was bald and wore some form of a mask of his own, but was not a ski mask merely a half mask that covered only his mouth.

"Not if I kill you first." The man to her left whispered, turning to Mili. "Leave now."

Mili walked through the cafe and grabbed her bags, turning momentarily to look at the large, bald man. She looked in his eyes and saw fire and something no one else would recognize. This man had been to hell and back, just like her. Just like Miguel. As she left the cafe a part of her hoped she ran into this man again. But another told her she should get out of Gotham while she still had her soul.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter**** 2 - ****Abandon all hope, ye who enter here**

Mili had been walking aimlessly around campus for about fifteen minutes. The library was now closed and the cafe was out as far as options for getting any sleep. She was looking between two benches along the sidewalk when she heard a noise behind her. She acted as if she was yawning and turned her head slightly in order to not let the person know she was aware of their presence. She saw a figure out of the corner of her eye and pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. Mili pushed seven buttons and waited a few seconds before beginning her conversation with the make believe person on the other end.

"Yes Michael I'm where we said we would meet. Oh you'll be here in a minute?" Mili said calmly before 'hanging' up the phone.

Mili looked up to see one of the guys from the cafe walking towards her and groaned.

"You caused a lot of problems for my friends." The guy slurred. Mili noticed that only one of the guys was there and wondered where the others had gone off to.

"Your friends caused themselves problems." Mili said, dropping her bags on the ground. "And you are looking for more."

The guy went to grab Mili by the neck and she punched him in the nose.

"You bitch." The guy said, holding his nose with one hand and using the other to reach for her.

Mili quickly connected a knee with his privates and then reached behind his head and brought his head down to connect with her knee. She heard some applause coming from behind her and looked up to see the group of men that had helped her in the cafe.

"And here I thought you needed someone to save you." The man in the half mask said, stepping forward. "Why does a little girl like yourself know how to defend herself like that?"

"A woman never knows when she'll find herself alone." Mili answered. "Where I come from women must be able to defend themselves. No man is going to do it for her. Thanks for taking care of the guys back at the cafe though officers. I can do one on one if they are close to my size but not sure I wouldn't have a chance with eight drugged up guys."

"Who said we were officers?" He asked, looking at the men around him who were laughing. 

"No one." Mili said, nervously. "I just assumed. You looked like..."

"Not officers." The man that had stepped in at the cafe said, stepping in front of her. He touched the rosary around her neck gently. "I don't think Gotham is a good place for a person like you. Maybe you should look elsewhere for intellectual fulfillment."

"Gotham is the most peaceful place I have ever lived in." Mili said. "And I take orders from no one."

"No an order. Just a suggestion." He said, turning to look at the boss. "I should warn you. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

"What?" Mili asked, recognizing the quote as the one supposedly marked at the gates of hell.

"Mili!"

Mili turned to see who was calling her name and when she turned back all of the men were gone. She turned back to see Alfred and Mr. Wayne approaching her with campus security. They all looked briefly at the man laying on the ground still in pain.

"Sir that bitch attacked me." He said, grabbing a security guards pant leg to try help himself up.

"This little girl beat you up?" The security guard laughed. "You may want to keep that to yourself."

Mili told the guards about the man attacking her but not about the cafe and turned to her grandfather.

"Mili you scared me half to death." Alfred said, stepping forward. "When I called the police to report you missing the officer said he'd seen you. That he had dropped you off here."

"I needed to get some studying done Alfred." Mili said. "Obviously I can take care of myself when I need to."

"I'm impressed that you can handle yourself." Bruce said, stepping in front of her. "I apologize for the argument. If I had known you were taking it so seriously I would have taken it easier on you. Come back to the house. The streets are no place for a girl like you."

"The streets are my home." Mili thought momentarily.

"Okay. But no more pressure about calling you grandfather and no more speaking to me like a child." Mili said, awaiting an answer.

"Deal." Bruce said, grabbing her bags and turned to limp to the awaiting car.

Mili turned around briefly to see the men standing on a nearby roof. She smiled at the man as he watched her before turning to follow Bruce to the car. When they arrived back at the mansion the police cruiser was sitting out front and the man who had given Mili a ride earlier in the night was awaiting the arrival of Mr. Wayne.

"Mr. Wayne I must speak with you in private." Officer Blake said, following the three inside the house.

Mili waited for the door to close and her grandfather to go upstairs before standing at the door and trying to listen to the conversatoin.

"Commissioner Gordan came out talking about a masked man living under the city." Officer Blake said.

Mili moved away from the door and walked outside to the garden. Was this masked man and her masked man one and the same?

"He's not your masked man." Mili whispered into the night.

She now had more questions than before. If these men were bad then why had the men saved her? Why was one of the men trying to get her to leave Gotham? And would she see the man with the half mask again? But her biggest question for herself was why did she want to see him again?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Limbo**

A week later Mili grumbled as she walked into the stock market with the rest of her Microeconmics class. She had only taken the class because it was a requirement for her degree. She had no understanding of the stock market. She could feel herself being pushed around by all of the brokers and agents. The teacher's voice was inaudible over all of the screaming and yelling going on all over the floor.

"This is crazy." Mili said to the student standing next to her.

"What?!" The young woman asked, yelling over the crowd.

"Forget it." Mili mumbled, moving to stand in a corner near the entrance to the room. It seemed like a pretty quite place.

Mili was trying to read the monitor with all the stocks when she heard the first gun fire ring through the room. She saw the people ducking and running, one pushed her into the side of a desk trying to get out of the room. She looked up to see the man with the half mask entering, a red motorcycle helmet in hand. She knew the moment he realized she was there. He didn't speak a word to her just gave her a small nod of the head and continued on with his business.

Mili kneeled with the other hostages as the men conducted their business. As they lined up hostages for the next part of their plan the full masked man that had saved her grabbed her arm gently and moved her to the line of people. Mili wasn't sure what was going to happen to them but she was certain it wouldn't be good. She looked on as men began bringing in dirt bikes and motorcycles and the half masked man grabbed her hand and led her to his bike. She tried to remember the conversation to between Bruce and Blake. What was his name?

"Bane?" Mili asked, quietly.

"How do you know my name?" He asked, turning his head slightly to the side.

"Your reputation proceeds you." Mili said, trying to ensure no one else could hear her. "Are you going to kill us?"

"Depends on how you are at taking orders." Bane said, putting her on the bike in front of him.

"Just so we are on the same page." Mili said, looking down at her tied hands. "If they shoot me I'm not going to be happy."

Mili heard a familiar laugh come from the bike behind theirs. She knew that laugh why could she not place it? She looked behind them to see the man with the full mask on his own bike with one of the brokers on the back. One sleeve of his arm rolled up slightly. She saw the cross tattoo there, a rosary just like the one she wore around her neck. She hadn't recognized him because he was dead.

Mili watched as the group of men pushed their hostages from the bikes and to the ground. She prepared for her push, for the feel of the pavement under her skin but it never came. She hated motorcycles, she would even say she was scared of them so she closed her eyes and awaited whatever fate was about to give her. She had accepted God many years ago and she had no fear of death, merely for the unknown.

She felt the bikes stop and looked around. Only Bane, Miguel and one other man was in the alley with them and they were opening a manhole leading to the sewers. Mili got of the bike and walked up to him punching him as hard as she could across his face.

"What the hell was that for?" He asked, rubbing the side of his masked face slowly.

"I buried you!" Mili yelled. "I planned your funeral, put a casket in the ground. How could you do this to me Miguel?"

He slowly took the mask off his face and looked at his childhood friend. He could see the hurt and betrayal in her eyes.

"Mils I was trying to protect you." Miguel said. "I had deabts I couldn't pay and issues I couldn't resolve. I had to disappear."

"Michael not here." Bane said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

The three men climbed into the manhole and Bane looked up at Mili. "You coming?"

Mili debated for a few seconds before following the men down under the city.

"I'm the dumbest person on the planet." Mili said, as she took the steps down the ladder. "I am following not only strange men but criminals down into the dark sewers. For all I know you are all terrorists, drug dealers, rapists..."

Mili let her feet touch the ground when Bane touched her arm.

"We are not rapists." Bane said angrily.

"Good to know." Mili said, following Miguel to a large opening into a round room.

Mili sat in the chair and listened to Miguel tell her about his affair with a gangsters wife. The man had wanted Miguel and everyone around him dead. He told him of how Michael heard from her father that his big brother could make him disappear and protect him. Train him to be a man no one would want to mess with. Miguel spoke to Mili of how much Bane had done for him. About Bane agreeing to allow Mili to leave Gotham before the fire broke out.

"I should leave soon." Mili said, standing. "Bruce and Alfred will be looking for me."

"Don't want you to keep your boyfriend waiting." Miguel laughed.

"He's not my boyfriend." Mili stated. "He and I aren't the best of friends."

Bane led Mili to the exit, not trusting what any of the others may do or say to her. He could tell when he first saw her that she was broken must like himself and Miguel. Mili stopped briefly before climbing the ladder.

"Thank you for saving Miguel." Mili began. "I may be angry with him now but he's always been my brother. Even though he's found his real brother now."

Bane looked at Mili confused for a second before his anger for Miguel began to rise.

"Miguel didn't tell me you were his brother. But you are alike in many ways." Mili said, beginning her climb out of the sewer and to freedom.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Lust**

Mili felt the strong, calloused hand trail up her tan leg toward her warm center. She could feel her breathing quicken as she felt the other strong hand move up her rib cage to massage one of her breasts through her tank top.

"Bane." She moaned, loudly letting one of her hands touch his powerful shoulder and the other grab the sheet in her fists. "Bane!"

She shot up in bed and looked around the room. Mili wiped some sweat from her forehead and ran her hand through her long dark hair. She'd been having the same dream for two weeks. Ever since she'd gone into the sewer.

"You are going crazy Mili." She whispered to the empty room.

Mili looked at the clock by her bed. 1:30. She climbed out of bed and dressed quietly.

"Maybe a run will help me." She thought, descending the stairs quietly not to wake anyone.

Mili got in her 2013 Challenger and drove to the park near city hall. She ensured the alarm was set before beginning to run around the track. After twenty minutes she found herself in front of a manhole and still thinking of Bane. She was wondering what he would do if she went down without invitation when she glanced up to see Bane himself exiting a building that housed Gotham's most exclusive penthouses. Mili found herself following him. She was telling herself to go back to bed but her body was telling her to follow Bane to the ends of the earth. Mili rounded a corner behind him only to feel herself pushed up against a hard brick wall.

"If you are looking for Michael he's not here." Bane said, not removing his hands from her shoulders.

"I wasn't looking for him." Mili admitted. "I was going for a run when I saw you and thought I would see...um..."

"You thought you would see what?" Bane asked. "Why are you running at a time like this? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." Mili admitted.

"Why?" Bane laughed. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No not a bad dream. I was actually having a great dream thank you." Mili said, getting angry. "I wish I would have stayed asleep because the dream you is much more pleasant than the real you."

Mili pushed his hands off her shoulders and put her hands to her mouth when she realized what she had just said. She turned quickly and began the walk back to her car.

"What?" Bane asked, following her. "Why are you dreaming about me?"

"I don't really choose who I dream about." Mili said, not stopping her strides. "I'm not even sure why I just said that. I think you're right I should go back to bed. I mean go back to sleep."

Just as Mili made it to her car Bane grabbed her waste and held her to his warm body.

"Why can't you choose who you dream about?" Bane asked.

"You know." Mili said, turning in his arms to look at him. "I mean do you have something you do to decide who you can dream about?"

"I don't dream." Bane said.

"Never?" Mili asked. "Everyone dreams."

"I've never had a dream." Bane replied.

"Nightmare?" She asked, again. "I used to have a lot of nightmares. Do you have nightmares?"

"No." He said. "I have no fears, no wants, no nightmares, no dreams."

"Everyone has something they want. Your dreams are insight to your wants, your desire, your passion." Mili said. "People dream have children, jobs, loved ones."

"So you say your dreams are your wants and desires yet you dream of me?" Bane asked, his mouth right next to her ear.

Mili could feel the warmth of his breath, of his body to her very core. She could feel her body responding to him and felt her entire soul shudder with her.

"Are you cold?" Bane asked.

"Yes." Mili lied, grabbing her keys. "I think I should be getting back and try to get some sleep."

Mili turned to open her car door when she felt him wrap one arm around her waist and pull her back flush against his rock hard body. He reached up to move her hair away from her neck and lazily run his finger along her scar. She tried to pull away at first but he held her still.

"Michael said he'd known you for years." Bane said. "That you were his Talia. I didn't believe him until now."

"Who's Talia?" Mili asked. "Your girlfriend? Because I've never been his girlfriend."

"No she's a girl I feel the need to protect. I have been protecting her since she was a child." Bane said. "How long have you known Michael?"

"For as long as I remember." Mili said, quietly. "I think I was four."

"So you came from the same town as Michael?" Bane asked.

"Yes." Mili admitted, ashamed.

"Why do you feel shame? You survived something many never could that's not something to be ashamed of." Bane said. "Michael, Talia, you and I we are alike. No one would every understand what darkness is really like. But you understand that don't you?"

Mili didn't answer. Couldn't. All she could think of was the closeness of Bane's body, the feel of his hands on her body. She'd never had a man hold her or caress her skin. She'd never wanted one to until she'd met Bane.

"You should be going." Bane said, opening the door and allowing her entrance to her car. "There are all kinds of crazy people out here."

"All working for you?" Mili asked, smiling from the driver's seat.

"Not all." Bane said, bending down. "You shouldn't come out alone Gotham has some bad people in it now. Not all will allow you to live. Go home now."

"Bye." Christina said, preparing to close her door.

He held it open for a second longer.

"See you later." He said. "Don't forget to dream."

With that Bane closed her door and she drove back to the Wayne Mansion. As she closed her eyes that night she had the most vivid dreams of Bane she'd had yet.


End file.
